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Acteens FAQs

By Student Resourc... on June 22, 2017

What is Acteens?

Acteens is a missions organization for girls in your church who are ages 12–17 or in grades 7–12. Through Acteens, teenaged girls in your church can have opportunities to grow in their relationships with God and their peers. Acteens learn to look beyond themselves and become actively involved in missions and ministry. Missions is at the heart of Acteens, and members explore and do hands-on missions in their communities and beyond. Acteens are also actively involved in learning about missions and praying for and giving to missions.

Why does my church need Acteens?

Research tells us that gender-specific organizations provide a healthy learning environment, particularly for teenage girls. Acteens offers teenage girls an opportunity to grow in their understanding of God, themselves, and others in an all-girl environment. Acteens experiences help girls develop dynamic relationships with God leading them to make missions a continuing part of their lives.

Why is missions education important?

Missions education teaches that God is active and working in the world today. Acteens helps girls learn that they can be a part of God’s work in the world. The girls also come to understand that the world is bigger than their own community.

Where can I find more information about starting Acteens in my church?

By encouraging missions education for teen girls, WMU meets and anticipates the ever-changing needs of your missions efforts. With a comprehensive student focus, this guide is essential for missions leaders who are serious about leading teenagers in Acteens.

Purchase your own copy of the Acteens Guide for Leaders. This guide has a comprehensive missions focus and is essential for Acteens leaders!

Who can be an Acteen?

All girl, ages 12–17 or in grades 7–12, who want to participate can be members of Acteens. Church membership is not required.

Who leads Acteens?

Both adults and Acteens members are responsible for leading the work of the group.

Acteens leader—Each Acteens group needs at least one adult leader who is responsible for leading the group in preparing for, doing, and assessing the work of the Acteens. As needed other adults may assist the Acteens leader in leading the group and/or in mentoring Acteens members.

Acteens members–According to their maturity and ability, Acteens members may plan and lead their missions experiences.

What about Acteens meetings?

Acteens groups usually meet weekly; however, some groups meet less often. Your group can choose to meet at a time and place that best suits your activities and the girls’ schedules.

Where do leaders get their ideas?

Session plans for leaders are found in Acteens Leader magazine (published three times a year). Additional activities for the girls are found in The Mag, the missions magazine for teen girls (published bimonthly).

What other resources do Acteens need?

The Mag is the colorful, bimonthly magazine for teenage girls that helps them learn about and be involved in missions in the real world.

MissionsQuest is the individual achievement plan for Acteens. MissionsQuest provides teenage girls the opportunity to dig deeper into their relationships with God and their understanding of what it means to live a missions lifestyle. MissionsQuest materials are available in a downloadable format at www.wmustore.com.

Acteens Guide for Leaders. This is an all-in-one resource for helping the teenagers of your church get involved in missions. Every student leader should have this guide in his or her possession. Learn what you can do as a leader to mentor students toward a lifetime of missions.

WMU Year Book for the current year is an essential annual resource that gives a preview of study materials and special projects for the year, plus a list of Acteens resources and information about WMU ministries.

Other materials for youth, such as ministry ideas books, spiritual growth helps, and Acteens identity items are available at www.wmustore.com or by calling 1-800-968-7301. You may also view our Resources page to see more information about each of these products.

What happens in a meeting?

During a meeting, Acteens participate in missions experiences related to praying for missions, doing missions, learning about missions, and developing a missions lifestyle. The experiences embrace these six elements of Acteens: biblically-based, action-oriented, relationship-based, learner-focused, accountability-based, and missions driven. Some meetings may be devoted to working on the individual achievement plan called MissionsQuest, or to planning special projects. Leaders can encourage girls to develop their leadership skills by guiding them to participate and accept leadership according to their age and experience.

What else do Acteens do?

Mission projects: Some ideas for mission projects are found in The Mag and Acteens Leader. Other projects may develop in response to needs in your community. Sometimes Acteens will work with your youth minister to include all youth in a mission project.

MissionsQuest: Acteens can go beyond the basics by participating in this individual achievement plan that will help them become more confident, courageous, and creative as they see Christ’s vision for a lost and hurting world. There are six quests that Acteens can choose to complete in any order. A girl entering Acteens as a seventh-grader and continuing through her twelfth-grade year would have the opportunity to complete all six, one for each year in Acteens. A corresponding award is available upon completion of each quest.

Special events: Associational and state Acteens events provide opportunities for girls from several churches to meet together for camps, retreats, or other activities.

Acteens Activators: Your Acteens group may apply through your state WMU office to participate in these volunteer missions projects in the United States. Assignments are coordinated through your state WMU office and national WMU.

Acteens Activators Abroad: Girls serve in international volunteer projects, coordinated through your state WMU office and national WMU.

Acteens Interns: This short-term volunteer program for individual junior and senior Acteens is cosponsored by national WMU and state WMU offices.